Remote control linearly regulated fuel valve

ABSTRACT

A linearly regulated fuel valve system is provided that includes a slotted conical rotatable plug component that is received in a conical cavity formed in a valve body which can be remotely controlled. The slotted plug serves to establish multiple flow paths through the valve body when rotated so as to align an opening formed in the cavity wall with an orifice formed in the side of the plug. The rotational orientation of the plug with respect to the wall and the orifice in the plug is set by a latch element permitting graduated stepwise adjustment settings such as high, medium, low and shut off of gas flow through the valve. Accordingly, the unique system may be adjusted by remote controlled to a wide range of settings by a single cone having a constant channel for fuel flow.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the construction of valves such as are used to control the flow of combustible fuel fired appliances and more particularly pertains to improvements in the configuration and construction of such valves in order to provide linear graduated regulation of fuel flow.

Conventional designs of manual gas valves typically include a “cone” or conical plug having a single opening for regulating the flow of gas to either “Low” or “High” output. Such design does not generally allow intermediate settings of fuel output by the user.

Gas valve control systems can also be used in various applications, including remote controlled heaters and fireplaces. These gas valve control systems typically transmit the control signal as a RF signal or as an infrared (IR) signal. As soon as the receiver receives the control signal, the receiver processes the control signal and operates the appliance in response to the control signal. Based on the characteristics of RF signals and IR signals, including the ability to travel great distances or penetrate walls, there is a risk that the control signal may be generated accidentally for instance from another room where the appliance is located.

In an effort to improve upon remote gas valve control systems, some skilled in the art have proposed validating the control signal to verify that the controller transmitting the control signal was within a predetermined maximum distance from the receiver before the valve responds to the control signal. Also, control systems of the prior art have been proposed to verify that the valve only responds to the control signal if the controller is within a line of sight relative to the receiver.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,966 B1 issued to Albizurl, discloses a gas valve body, comprising a gas chamber, an inlet conduit and an exit conduit communicating with said gas chamber; a cone housed inside and gas chamber so that a lower part of said gas chamber remains empty; and a rotating transmission shaft via which said cone rotates. The inlet conduit is a diagonal channel communicating with the lower part of the gas chamber, the lower chamber of the cone communicating with said lower part of the gas chamber. The exit conduit comprises a connection hole communicating with the gas chamber.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,481 B2 issued to Harneit, discloses a linearly regulated gas valve for a gas burner, utilizing a central plug to control the gas flow. The user may choose from a wide choice of settings for any particular food that is being prepared on the gas burner. The control is manually activated by the user.

U.S. Patent No. 2006/0254575 A1 issued to Velazquez, et al., discloses a gas valve control system using a control signal to enable a valve and a validation signal to validate the control signal. The system includes a valve connected to a burner. A receiver is electrically connected to the valve and provides the valve with the control signal. A controller has a control transmitter in wireless communication with the receiver to transmit the control signal to the receiver at a speed of light. The controller further includes a validation transmitter to transmit a validation signal to the receiver at a speed of sound. The valve is enabled by the control signal if a time delay between the receiver receiving the control signal and the validation signal is shorter than a maximum delay period. The control signal is discarded if the time delay is longer than the maximum delay period.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,087 B1 issued to Bird, et al., discloses a burner system for use in applications such as a gas fireplace. The system includes a main burner, a standing pilot burner, a burner control unit, and a fuel valve. In one embodiment, the fuel valve and burner control unit receive power from a power source such as a thermopile mounted to receive energy from the pilot burner.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,823 issued to Hodgkiss, discloses a gas appliance, such as a domestic gas fire or heater, provided with a gas ignition device comprising a solenoid actuator which is electrically operable to cause a gas valve to initiate a gas flow, an igniter which is electrically operable to ignite the gas flow, and a remote control unit connected to the gas actuator and the igniter by a low voltage line.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0254575 A1 discloses various types of gas valve controllers. The gas valve controllers of the prior art have included a burner that is operatively connected to a valve that provides fuel to the burner. In certain instances, the valve is controlled by a controller that generates and transmits a control signal to the valve. In order to receive the control signal from the controller, a receiver is electrically connected to the valve. The receiver may be in wired or wireless communication with the controller. In the case of wireless communication between the controller and the receiver, the control signal may be transmitted by the controller to the receiver in the radio frequency (RF) band. Therefore, the control signal is able to penetrate walls. The control signal actuates the valve in order to adjust the heat. If more heat is requested, then the control signal instructs the valve to allow more fuel to reach the burner, resulting in the burner generating a larger flame and increased heat. On the other hand, if less heat is requested, the valve restricts the amount of fuel that reaches the burner generating a smaller flame, which produces less heat.

While such conventional gas control systems have each provided some fuel flow adjustment, the single flow outlet of the internal cone limits the adjustable range to either high or low. Accordingly, those skilled in the art have recognized a significant need for a fuel control system to achieve an even linear adjustment of fuel flow to the main burner in a gas appliance thereby providing a steady flow increase from Low, Medium, to High flame and resultant output.

Those skilled in the art have also recognized need for convenient operation by the user to more precisely adjust the flame level of appliances such as gas fireplaces, stoves, and the like, from remote locations.

The present invention fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a linearly regulated gas valve system having a slotted conical rotatable plug component that is received in a conical cavity formed in a valve body which can be remotely controlled by the user. The unique configuration of the valve with multiple slotted openings in the cone for fuel flow permits steady adjustment as the flow of fuel is increased from low, medium and high output for combustion in the appliance. The slotted plug serves to establish multiple flow paths through the valve body when rotated to a variety of settings so as to align an opening formed in the cavity wall with an orifice formed in the side of the plug. A rotational orientation in which there is no overlap between the opening in the wall and the orifice in the plug shuts off all flow through the valve.

The system comprises a controller having a control transmitter to generate a control signal to the valve. The valve is operative connected to a burner to control the flow of fuel to the burner. The valve includes a receiver that receives the control signal from the controller. The receiver may be wired or wireless and will respond to increase or restrict the flow of fuel that reaches the appliance burner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodied form of the linearly regulated fuel valve system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a top view of one embodied valve for linearly relating fuel in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the valve body of the embodied valve for linearly relating fuel in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view taken across the top of the valve to further illustrate the internal configuration of the valve body and slotted conical plug in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2D is a perspective view of the slotted cone portion of the valve in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2E is a cross-sectional view of the lower portion of the valve shown in FIG. 2C in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2F shows the valve component depicted in FIG. 2D as the slotted cone is a rotated in the valve in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2G shows the valve component depicted in FIG. 2D in perspective view as the plug is further rotated within the valve in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the linearly regulated fuel valve in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the valve in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the linearly regulated fuel valve in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the linearly regulated fuel valve in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 are further more detailed views of one embodied valve components shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 8 are further more detailed views of the valve body in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention generally relates to the construction of valves such as are used to control the flow of combustible gas fired appliances and more particularly pertains to improvements in the configuration and construction of such valves in order to effect linear regulation of gas flow to the burner unit.

Conventional design of valve cones in a manual gas valve typically provide a single opening for the flow of fuel. The single opening of cone accordingly limits gas flow to either Low or High output.

The unique slotted cone of present invention achieves an even linear adjustment of fuel flow. The slot of the cone is rotated for Low, Medium, and High settings to achieve gas flow to main burner at a steady flow rate.

In more detail, the present invention provides a gas valve that includes a slotted conical rotatable plug component shown most clearly in FIG. 2, that is received in a conical cavity formed in a valve body having an effective seal therebetween. The unique configuration of the valve plug serves to establish a flow path through the valve body when rotated so as to align an opening formed in the cavity wall with an slot orifice formed in the side of the plug. As shown in FIGS. 2 A-G the rotational orientation of the plug includes a shut off position in which there is no overlap between the opening in the wall and the orifice in the plug shuts off all flow through the valve.

Accordingly, the unique remote control adjustable fuel valve has a single cone shown in FIG. 2 with constant channel for gas flow. When turned “On”, there is full gas flow through the channel with no adjustment. The latch element lets the gas flow by steps-high, medium and low.

The construction of such valves may be from appropriately dimensioned metal components, for instance shown in FIG. 7. These stopcock configurations shown employ a conical plug that is rotatably received in a conical cavity formed in a valve body. The plug has an orifice formed in its side that is in fluid communication with an opening formed at its narrow end. The valve body has one duct formed therein that extends from an exterior port to an opening formed in the side of the conical cavity and another that extends from an opening in the base of the conical cavity to a second exterior port. Rotation of the plug so as to align the orifice formed on its side with the opening formed in the side of the conical cavity in the valve body establishes a flow path through the valve. Rotation of the plug so as to avoid any overlap between the orifice formed in the side of the plug and the opening formed in side of the conical cavity serves to positively shut off the flow of gas through the valve.

The interior surface of the conical cavity thus serves as a valve seat for the exterior surface of the plug whereby an effective seal is achieved with the very precise machining of the two surfaces. Machining of the cast metallic components to within 0.001″ is typically followed by a lapping operation to substantially perfectly match the two surfaces. The use of metals and the machining of the various components significantly contribute to the overall cost of such valve.

Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the specific dimensions shown in FIG. 7 for the embodied valve components may be suitably varied to accommodate the appropriate application of gas regulation.

The control of the fuel supply may be conveniently regulated by the user, through wired or wireless technology. FIGS. 1 and 3 further depict components for one embodied system. Remote control and particular construction materials for these system components can be selected from known techniques such as disclosed by the US patents and published applications set forth herein at pages 4 et seq. These disclosures are hereby incorporated by this reference. 

1. A control system for linearly regulating the flow of fuel to the burner of a gas appliance, the system comprising in combination: a) a burner member that is operatively connected to a valve that regulates the flow of fuel to the burner of the gas appliance; b) a controller that generate and transmits a control signal to the valve, said valve including a receiver electrically connected to the valve for detecting and receiving the control signal to effect an increase or decrease of fuel flow to the burner member; c) said valve comprising a conical rotatable plug component having a slot orifice, to be received in a conical cavity of a valve body, said cavity having a wall with an opening formed therein, wherein when said valve body is rotated with respect to said plug component a flow pathway through the valve body is formed by alignment of the opening formed within said cavity wall and the slot orifice of the plug.
 2. The control system as sets forth in claim 1 and further comprising sensor means for adjusting the concentration of fuel and air mixture for future combustion events.
 3. The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is wired to the valve.
 4. The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller provide a wireless signal to the valve.
 5. The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor means for detecting the concentration of carbon dioxide also comprises sensor means for detecting the concentration of carbon monoxide present in the combustion exhaust gas.
 6. The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor means for detecting the concentration of carbon dioxide also comprises sensor means for detecting the concentration of oxygen present in the combustion exhaust gas.
 6. The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for comparing the digital detected value signal with a prescribed range of optimum concentration values performs the comparison intermittently over time.
 7. The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for comparing the digital detected value signal with a prescribed range of optimum concentration values performs the comparison on an continuous basis. 